Conception - Reimagined
by Tired-Author
Summary: YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE FAMILIAR WITH THE ANIME/GAME TO READ Two friends, Istuki and Mahiru, find themselves in an awkward situation when their one night stand leaves Mahiru pregnant. Their world is flipped upside even more when they wake up in a new one. What is this new world? Why were they brought here? What is going to happen to their child? Updates Fridays
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

* * *

A/N:

Has anyone watched/played that anime/game called "Conception"? Nope? That's fine! You don't need to in order to read this! I repeated: YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE FAMILIAR WITH CONCEPTION IN ORDER TO READ THIS.

This is a complete reimagined version of that storyline! Why? Because I watched that anime and got really sad that such an interesting concept (haha no pun intended) wasn't being used to its full potential. So, prepare yourself for the dystopian fantasy romance that is Conception: reimagined!

Things changed:

\- Love rituals mean really doing the dirty if you get my drift

\- Itsuki and Mahiru are NOT related

\- Mana has been deleted and will not be seen ever again

\- The number of Waifus has been divided by three (this makes the storyline less complicated and lets us focus on Itsuki's relationship which each a bit more. The other waifus will make background and minor appearances but will not be main characters)

\- Due to many of the Waifu's being snapped, the zodiac symbolism has been replaced with card suits

\- The girls actually are pregnant for three days. Think "Sims" logic

\- Much darker, you have been warned

And that's about it! Please give the story a chance, especially if you haven't seen/played Conception.

* * *

Normally, Mahiru's brown eyes would be lit with her usual energy as we walked. But today, her eyes were dull and only watched her feet as she took long, but slow, steps. Sunlight shone on her dark hair, turning it a warm auburn shade. Her soft, pink lips were fixed in a neutral frown.

I looked away from her, adjusting my bag. I turned my attention to the lively street in front of us. At the end of the road sat a cozy cafe. I squinted as I tried to read the sign.

"Vache Cafe," Mahiru read.

I turned back to her just in time to see her look away. "Right. Listen, I think you're gonna love this place," I said, waiting for her to respond. When she said nothing, I continued. "This is the one that Yuuki pointed out to me. They've got amazing crepes."

Mahiru nodded. I tilted my head, trying to get a better look at her face. I pressed my lips together.

"You sure you're okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine," she said. Her pace quickened as she walked past me.

I took in a deep breath and let it out through my nose before following her.

We reached the cafe, the bell on the door letting out a soft ring as we stepped inside. Mahiru pushed past me to the counter but said nothing. I pressed the door shut, taking a breath of the coffee aroma.

The cafe was rather small with only a few tables with golden accents. The small ceiling lights were outpowered by the sunlight pouring in through the large window panes. In the corner, a plastic fan whirred back and forth, providing a slight breeze.

I smiled.

With an annoyed look, Mahiru turned to me and nodded to the cashier. I sighed and walked over to them. On the wall behind the cashier was a large panel full of colorful drawings of crepes and drinks. My eyes blurred as I tried to read the characters. After a moment, Mahiru sighed.

"Two strawberry chocolate cream crepes, please," she said.

"Strawberry chocolate..." the cashier said as he punched the buttons of the cash register. He looked between Mahiru and me. "Are you two on a date?"

Mahiru looked down at her feet again, but I simply laughed awkwardly.

"No, it's our birthday actually," I said.

"Ah, twins?" he asked.

"You know, we get that a lot," I said. "Our birthday is the same day, but I'm turning 19 and she's turning 18. So, we're birthday buddies. But we're not related."

"Well then, happy birthday to the both of you," the cashier said. "That will be 900 yen."

I handed him the money. Mahiru walked off and sat at the closest table. I waited by the counter for the food. Then, I took the crepes over to Mahiru.

She sat with her head in one hand, looking out the window. The sky reflected onto her eyes, causing them to look almost grey. I took the seat in front of her and held one of the crepes out to her.

Mahiru didn't move. The bow on her chest rose and fell with her chest as she breathed.

"Mahiru?" I asked.

Her hand dropped as she lifted her head. Her eyes moved to my face, then to the crepe in front of her.

"Oh, thanks," she said, taking the crepe.

"What's up with you today?" I asked.

Her mouth opened slightly, but she shut it again. She shook her head, staring at the crepe.

"Well?" I asked. I took a bite of my crepe and chewed it while watching her face.

Her gaze was still fixed on her food.

I sighed. "I can't help you if you don't say anything."

"What are we, Itsuki?" she said. Her hands gripped the crepe, causing the bread to tear a bit.

My eyebrows lowered. The crepe in my mouth tasted stale. I forced myself to swallow, then I smiled.

"Uh, I don't know. Humans? High school students? Manga-enthusiasts, though to be fair, that's more me than you-"

"You know what I mean."

I took in a breath. The fan buzzed in the corner, blowing a few strands of Mahiru's hair towards me.

"I thought you said you didn't want to talk about what happened," I said, lowering my voice a bit.

"I know what I said, but we can't just ignore it," Mahiru said. She set down her crepe and looked out the window again. "I don't get it. Two weeks ago, we were just friends. Now? We're, what, lovers? Ex-lovers?"

"It was just one night," I said.

"A lot can happen from 'just one night.'"

"Not if we don't let it."

"Itsuki, I'm pregnant," Mahiru said, looking me in the eye for the first time today.

I stared at her with wide eyes, almost dropping my crepe. Then, I laughed.

"Yeah, right. Haha, you got me," I said.

"I'm serious."

"How would you even know?"

"I took a test this morning."

"A test wouldn't work after one day."

"Then, why was it positive?"

"I don't know!" I threw my hands up. The cashier gave us a strange look. I put my hands down and leaned over at Mahiru, lowering my voice to a whisper. "All I know is that if you're pregnant, it's not mine."

Mahiru stood up.

She scooped her bag off the ground and walked to the door.

"Mahiru," I said with a groan, but she didn't stop.

I looked between her and the crepe sitting on the table in front of me. Aside from the rip where she had grabbed it too hard, it was completely untouched. The bell on the door of the cafe dinged as Mahiru left. I bit my lip and grabbed the crepe, slipped my bag over my shoulder, and ran after her.

"Listen, I'm sorry," I said, slipping out the door before it shut again. "Let's just talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about," Mahiru said without turning around. She kept walking, her hair bouncing as her feet hit the concrete. "If you don't want anything to do with me or the child, I get it."

"I never - urg, come on, Mahiru! Be reasonable!"

I pushed past a couple of people as I tried to catch up to her, muttering quick apologizes as I passed. I grabbed Mahiru's shoulder with my free hand and turning her to face me. For a moment, her eyes were wide, but they quickly narrowed and looked away from my face.

"I just said that if you're pregnant, it can't be-"

"I _am_ pregnant! And it _is_ your child!" Mahiru said.

A few people looked over as Mahiru shouted. I gave them a nervous smile before grabbing Mahiru's hand and leading her away from the busy part of the street.

"And I told you, that's not possible..." I said.

"But you were my first - my only. I don't know why I'm already showing signs or why the test-"

"Wait, what kind of signs are you showing?" I stopped, letting go of her hand as I turned to face her.

The tall buildings around the narrow alley cast long shadows over both of us. Mahiru took in a breath, glancing around for a moment before reaching for her sweater.

"I felt really sick this morning," she said. "At first, I just thought I had the flu or something, but then I noticed this."

She lifted up the bottom of her sweater, revealing her stomach. The last time I saw it, it was flat, save a little bump around the belly button. Now, it was noticeably enlarged, like someone had flattened a water balloon over it.

I stared at her stomach.

"That happened overnight?" I asked.

"Pretty much," she said, pulling her sweater back over her stomach. It was loose enough to hide the bump.

"And you're sure you weren't pregnant before this?"

"Of course I'm sure! Besides, you saw it before. It didn't look like this, right?"

"Yeah, but..." I shook my head. "This is crazy. Did you tell your parents?"

"No! No, no, no. I couldn't! They'd kill me."

"But they've got to know a whole lot more about this than we do."

Mahiru hung her head. A soft sniffle escaped her.

I took a deep breath and reached my free hand out to her. I froze and withdrew it, looking at the crepes in my other hand. With a sigh, I set down the crepes on a nearby ledge.

I wrapped my arms around Mahiru. As soon as her head hit my shoulder, I felt her shake as she began to cry.

"Hey, it's okay, it's okay," I whispered.

"It's not okay!" Mahiru said through her tears. "What am I going to do?"

"We're gonna figure this out," I said.

I ran my hands through her hair as she cried. Her hair felt so soft, like those fuzzy sweaters that she loved to wear.

I wondered if softness was genetic.

"Itsuki?" Mahiru whispered.

My hand stopped. "Yeah?"

"I...what the heck is that?" Mahiru said, stepping back and breaking the embrace. She stared at the ground, green light touching her face.

I followed her gaze. Below us was a large circular symbol. It glowed an unnatural green shade.

Mahiru and I were standing right on top of it.

Before I even had time to process anything, the ground beneath my feet disappeared. No, the ground was still there. I just fell right through it.

"Mahiru!" I screamed as I fell.

"Itsu-" Mahiru's voice called but was cut off by darkness.

Then, everything was black.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up lying on my back. The ground beneath me was hard and cold. I groaned as I tried to blink away the darkness. No matter how many times I blinked, I still couldn't see a thing.

I sat up quickly.

"Mahiru?" I called out.

"Mmh," a muffled sound came from a few feet away from me.

I patted the ground, shuffling towards the sound. My hands felt cool rock and a few sharp pebbles. Then, I felt fabric.

"Mahiru?" I said.

"Itsuki?" Mahiru said. She reached out and held my hand. Her grip tightened. She began to breath faster. "Where are we? What happened?"

"I don't know," I said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said. "My head kinda hurts, but I'm fine."

"Do you think you can stand?"

"Yeah."

I put one hand around her waist while she gripped my other hand for balance. I helped her stand up, feeling her weight shift as we moved.

"Can you see anything?" I asked.

"No, can you?"

"No. I think this is some sort of cave."

"How are we supposed to get out of here?"

"I'm more worried about finding those crepes right now."

Mahiru punched me in the stomach. It wasn't that hard, just enough to wipe the grin off my face.

"Oof, wow, I'm sorry. Let's just start walking. We'll find out way out eventually," I said.

Mahiru's hair brushed my shoulder as she nodded. I let go of her waist and I felt the wall. Sure enough, it was solid stone. I kept one hand on the wall and one hand laced with Mahiru's as we walked.

The wall curved off. We followed the bend in the path and saw light poking in from the end.

"Thank goodness," Mahiru said. She began to walk faster until she was practically leaping towards the light.

"Careful, you don't want to-" I cut myself off.

Mahiru paid no attention to me. I watched her silhouette grow small as it chased the light. With a sigh, I ran after her.

As we got closer to the light, we saw that it was the exit to the cave. On the other side were tall trees and bushes in varying shades of green and brown.

Mahiru reached the outside first. She stopped, hanging her hand to look everything over. I caught up to her, feeling the sunbeams that filtered through the trees touch my skin. Mahiru turned to me with wide eyes, her eyebrows lowered in worry.

"Itsuki...where are we?" she asked.

"I don't know," I said. "None of this looks familiar."

Mahiru took a step closer to me, grabbing my hand again. I leaned my shoulder against hers.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay. We just gotta find a road or something," I said.

"So more walking?"

"More walking."

Mahiru nodded slowly, letting me take the lead into the forest. We walked past rocks and trees and vines. There was no discernable path, so I just tried to find the clearest route. As long as we were moving, we would find something eventually.

Right?

Mahiru had one hand on her stomach and the other wrapped around mine as we walked. After a few minutes, something shining in the distance caught my attention. I squinted at it, trying to make out the shape. Mahiru followed my gaze. A smile spread across her face.

"Oh thank goodness, we're saved!" she said, letting go of my hand and running towards the shape. "Hey! Over here! Excuse me!"

I followed Mahiru as she waved her hands wildly at the figure, who had stopped moving. As we got closer, I saw that the shine was from the metal armor the figure wore.

Who the heck wears armor these days?

We approached the figure. He really was wearing a full suit of armor, save the helmet. He had a buzzcut and a blank expression. His intense green eyes looked us over without a word. At his side, next to a small pouch, sat a sheath.

"Sorry to bother you, Sir, but we need help! My..." I trailed off as I looked at Mahiru. It felt like it had been an eternity since she asked that question. I cleared my throat at looked back at the armored man. "This girl's pregnant and we're completely lost."

His face shifted when I told him that. "How did you get here?" the voice that came from the figure was high-pitched. It was definitely not the voice I was expecting. It appeared the man was actually a woman.

"Oh, I um..." I lost my train of thought.

"We just woke up in a cave, Ma'am," Mahiru said.

"Are you from this realm?" she asked.

"This...realm?" Mahiru looked to me for answers. I shrugged.

"Then our prayers have been answered," the armored woman said. She turned and began to walk. "Come with me."

Mahiru and I exchanged glances before following her. The woman reached into her pouch and pulled out a small stone.

"Star Knight C #386621 reporting from the Realm of Leaves. I have located the new Visitor and Maiden," she said into the stone.

I leaned over to Mahiru. "Is it just me or does this person seem..."

"Completely insane?" Mahiru whispered back.

I nodded.

"Should we even follow her?" Mahiru asked.

"We don't really have any other options."

The armored woman turned back to us for a moment.

"State your names," she said.

"Uh, okay. I'm Itsuki Yuge," I said.

"Mahiru Konatsuki," Mahiru said.

The armored woman nodded and turned back to the road, continuing to talk into the stone as we walked.

The armored woman put the stone away. The trees broke away around us, leading us to a long clearing. It looked like an old-timey street, the kind they used before they have pavement or cars. The armored woman turned to the left and followed the road.

"So, what were you doing with that stone?" I asked.

"It's not a stone. It's an ECI," she said.

"Right, totally. My bad," I said.

I looked over at Mahiru. She shrugged.

"I didn't catch your name," I said.

"I have no name," she said.

Mahiru gave me a nervous look.

"Okay...what do people call you?" I asked.

"My title is Star Knight C #386621."

"That's a rather long...title."

"If you prefer, you may refer to me as Star Knight C 21."

"That's still pretty long." My shoulders sagged.

"How about just C 21?" Mahiru said.

"I suppose that is adequate," C 21 said.

"Why don't you have a name?" I asked.

"Star Knights have no need for names."

"What's a 'Star Knight?'"

"We are the protectors of this land."

"What is this-"

Mahiru elbowed me. "I'm so sorry, Ms. C 21, for his pestering."

"All the Visitor's questions will be answered once you reach the Capitol."

"Is that where you're taking us?" I asked.

"It is where you must go."

I opened my mouth to ask "why?" but Mahiru shot me a look. I hiked my shoulders and raised an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes.

Mahiru leaned over to me. "You're not going to get answers from a crazy lady."

"There's no harm in trying."

"Unless you annoy her so much that she refuses to help us anymore."

I sighed. Mahiru picked up the pace to match C 21's.

We continued in silence.

The forest trees were tall and seemed to continue for an eternity. The sun beat down on us like we were cookies in an oven. I took off the jacket of my school uniform and draped it over my shoulder as we walked.

A drop of sweat traced Mahiru's red cheeks, reaching her chin and delicately falling onto her bow. I held my hand out to her. She turned away from me. I kept my hand extended.

With a soft scoff, Mahiru took off her jacket and handed it to me. As we walked, she tugged at the edge of her bow before resigning to take off her sweater as well. Her fingers slipped around each yellow button, releasing them from the fabric's grip. She slowed when she reached her stomach, stopping only for a moment before continuing to unbutton. Then, she handed me the sweater.

I shifted my bag to access the zipper and tucked the clothes inside. All the while, C 21 marched ahead of us, her armor glinting as she moved.

The forest faded, slowly replaced by green fields and brown structures. Fences lined the road. In the distance, the docile eyes of cows followed us as we passed. Buildings appeared more and more frequently until they replaced the fields completely. The buildings matched the rustic surroundings, as they lacked any sort of metal or modern design.. Despite the afternoon sun, a few people milled around the various dusty streets. They dressed in simple browns and whites with hints of green. When they saw us, the stopped and whispered among themselves.

"Is it just me or does this place look like it's straight out Medieval Europe?" I whispered to Mahiru.

She glanced around, but quickly looked at the ground when she met a villager's eyes. "I don't know."

I did my best to smile at the villagers, though our expressions seemed to have no effect on them. Not that I could really make out their expressions. C 21 paid them no attention to them.

C 21 took us to a tall building. It was made of stone as opposed to the brick texture of the other buildings. The doors were large and decorated with green gems. The handles were silver and rusted at the ends.

We walked inside the building, relishing in the cool air. The door opened into an empty hall with many doors decorated with green gems, though not as large or elegant as the front one. Our shoes clicked on the sleek, stone floor as we moved straight past the doors to the end of the hall, which opened into a circular chamber.

Sunlight poured into the chamber from the skylights above. The light was tinted green by the panels, giving the room an eerie look. On the floor was a raised circular platform that looked like a large, flattened emerald. C 21 finally stopped, turning back to Mahiru and me expectantly.

We exchanged glances before turning back to her with blank expressions.

"Step on the portal," C 21 said.

"The what now?" I said.

C 21's face remained emotionless as she pointed at the platform. "The portal."

"Like, a real teleportation portal?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. It will take you to the Capitol."

"Where the visitors' questions will be answered?" Mahiru said.

"Yes."

"And we're the visitors, right?" I asked.

"No. You are the Visitor. She is a Maiden."

"And I suppose that I could ask a question about that in the Capitol?" I asked.

"Yes."

I took a breath and met Mahiru's gaze. She glanced at the portal before locking eyes with me. The green light reflected onto the gloss of her lips as they pursued.

Her face was stern, but her lips were so soft.

Mahiru placed a hand on her stomach again. She turned to C 21. "It's not dangerous. Right?"

"No. The Star Child will be fine," C 21 said.

"Star-" I began to ask but shut my mouth.

"All the Visitor's questions will be answered-"

"Once we reach the Capitol, yeah," I said. I turned to Mahiru and held out a hand. "Well, shall we?"

"Are you sure about this?" Mahiru whispered.

"No harm in trying," I whispered back.

"In trying to teleport at the request of a crazy lady?" Mahiru whispered.

"Look, we're not exactly in Kansas anymore, are we?" I whispered.

Mahiru's eyebrows lowered. "You're not seriously considering-"

"More weird things have happened today than in my entire life, so, yes, I'm seriously considering the possibility that-"

"You must go to the Capitol," C 21 said with an air of finality.

Mahiru breathed in. "Okay."

She took my hand, her other hand resting on her stomach.

We walked onto the platform.

C 21 stood in front of the platform. She reached into her bag and pulled out a stone. It looked like the same stone as before. She shut her eyes. The stone began to glow green.

The emeralds on the walls began to lit up one by one until every gem was glowing the same green as the stone. Bits of green light sparked off the gems and swirled around us.

"No way..." Mahiru whispered.

Finally, the giant emerald below us lit up. More and more green sparks appeared until they created a wall of white light around the platform.

I shut my eyes, raising an arm to block out some of the brightness. Still, the light poured into my eyes, making my vision look orange. Then, the light faded and my vision went black.


	3. Chapter 3

I opened my eyes.

At first, it seemed we were in the same chamber as before. However, there were a few key differences.

First of all, C 21 was gone. In her place stood a similar looking knight. They had the same buzz cut and a similar frame, but their eyes were grey instead of green. Their stone was glowing a soft red shade. The green gems on the wall were also red now. The emerald below us was red like a ruby.

The knight in front of us lowered their stone. Their face remained blank. "Welcome, esteemed Visitor and Maiden, Itsuki and Mahiru. Follow me."

I looked at Mahiru. Her eyes were wide as she looked around the chamber.

"Holy crap, we actually teleported," she said.

"Really? I thought the stones just changed colors," I said with a smirk.

She shoved me forward, causing me to trip a bit as I stepped off the platform. I straightened my back and held out my hand to her. Mahiru's eyes became fixed on one of the rubies that lined the wall.

"Mahiru?" I said.

She blinked and looked at me, then at my hand. She took my hand and stepped off the platform.

The new knight led us out of the chamber into another long hall. The hall mirrored the green hall. Everything was the same except for the gems, which had been replaced by red gems.

Mahiru leaned over to me as we walked.

"I think I figured it out. This hall is the same as the other hall. The gems just change colors. They did some trick with light in the chamber room and switched C 21 with this guy. No actual teleportation," she whispered.

"But why would they do that?"

"I don't know. To mess with us? Maybe this is some crazy prank show," Mahiru said.

We reached the end of the hall. The knight opened the door. However, outside the hall was no quaint village. There were stone streets and tall buildings that shone in the sunlight. From what I could see, there were still no electronics, but there were carriages and lanterns.

"Must be one hell of a prank show," I whispered to Mahiru.

Mahiru shot me an annoyed look before stepping outside.

We walked down the street. There were a few villagers here who were dressed much nicer than the ones before. They mostly wore whites and reds with golden accents. Just like before, they starred at us as we passed by. Mahiru tugged at her hair as we walked.

"Um, excuse me, where are we?" she asked the knight.

"The Capitol," they said.

"Yeah, but where's that?" she said.

"In the Realm of Blood."

Mahiru turned to me with her eyebrows raised.

"Realm of Blood, you say?" I said. "Sounds like a fun place to be."

"Once we reach the castle, all your needs will be taken care of," they said.

"We're going to a castle?" Mahiru's frown dissipated a bit.

"Yes. That is where you will be staying."

"Until we can get home?" I asked.

The knight paused. The road turned to stairs as it traced a hill. The knight began to march up them, with Mahiru and me following. "All the Visitors questions will be answered once we reach the castle."

"Great." I crossed my arms. "And where exactly is this castle?"

We reached the top of the hill. From here, we could see the whole town.

It was much bigger than I expected, expanding in every direction for what looked like miles. The ends of the town looked fuzzy to me, as it everything just faded into mist. At the center of the stone roads and buildings was a circular river. It closed off the middle of the land, creating a large island. On that island sat five tall buildings made of white stone. The building in the center was the biggest, towering over the other four as it was double their size.

"Over there," the knight said.

Mahiru gasped, her eyes lifting up as she took the scenery in.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. The breeze caught her hair, pushing it away from her face as she stared at the castle with sparkling eyes.

The knight continued down the hill towards the castle. Mahiru stood still, the wind billowing her clothes and hair. I gave her a slight nudge and she blinked.

I smiled.

We followed the knight to the castle. The closer we got, the more people we saw. Their whispering got louder and louder until we were surrounded by a mummer at all times. Mahiru's legs shook as we walked. Her head was hung so low, I thought she might fall over.

I put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to me. The motion caused her to stumble a bit, but when we regained balance, her legs weren't shaking. She put her head on my chest as we walked. Her hair stuck to her slick brow. I ran my fingers over her scalp, feeling how hot her head was.

When we finally reached the river around the castle, we were approached by more bald knights. The knight leading us held up their hand.

"Behold, the new Visitor and Maiden," they said.

The knights guarding the river exchanged looks, then nodded. They withdrew their positions and helped us onto a boat. There was another knight on the boat that took us across the river. The whole while, Mahiru kept her eyes shut and her head on my chest.

We passed through a number of different knights as we made our way through the castle. It seemed that every time I opened my mouth to ask what was happening, there was a different knight by our side.

"All the Visitors questions will be answered once we reach the king," they all said.

The whole thing probably took no longer than fifteen minutes, but it felt like an eternity. Finally, we were standing before an impressive set of golden doors decorated with rubies. A short, round man with a fluffy beard stood in front of the doors. On either side of him were more armored knights.

The knight with us held up his hand. "Behold, the new Visitor and Maiden."

"Ah, welcome, welcome," the bearded man said. His eyes were shut, but he seemed to be talking to us. "The king will be with you in a moment. He's currently-"

Just then, the doors flew open. A boy who looked like he was about my age, maybe older, with hair so black it almost looked blue. He wore fancy clothes and stood with his hands pushed forward. His eyebrows were lowered. His eyes were the exact shade of blood red.

He stomped past us without sparing us a glance. The bearded man knitted his eyebrows for a moment before turning back to us with an uneasy smile.

"Well then, the king will see you now."

The bearded man took us into the king's room. It was by far the most impressive room in the entire castle. Grand, golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling, each candle holder decorated with rubies. The floor was covered in a slick tile pattern that featured rows of gold and red. At the end of a long red path, atop a long platform, sat an impressively large throne. The chair itself seemed to have been delicately carved from a golden block with each element having layers of chiseled patterns all topped off with the biggest rubies I've ever seen.

Sitting on that throne was a wrinkled man with a small golden circle around his forehead. His head was resting on his arm and his legs were crossed. He wore a simple red robe a few shades darker than the rubies surrounding him. On either side of the throne were knights much bigger than the ones we had encountered before but with the same shaved hair and blank expressions.

As we approached him, I noticed his eyes were the same red shade as the boy who just left. His face resembled the boy's as well. He lifted his head when we stopped in front of him.

The bearded man bowed, falling to his knees. Mahiru and I did the same. The man on the throne raised his hand and the bearded man straightened his back as we stood up.

"Behold," the bearded man said. "The new Visitor and Maiden, Itsuki and Mahiru."

I did my best to smile as the man on the throne looked us over. There was a dullness in his eyes that was slowly fading.

"I see," he finally said. "Well then, welcome to Granvania. I am King Shangri-la, ruler of the four realms. I'm glad to see you've arrived safely."

"It's an honor to meet you, your Highness," I said.

"No need for formalities, I know you haven't a clue who I am," Shangri-la said.

"Well, I mean, it's an honor to meet any king," I said. "I'm just not really sure why or what's going on? The knights said you would answer our questions."

"They did?" Shangri-la raised an eyebrow at the bearded man.

The bearded man shrugged. The king sighed.

"I suppose I have some time to spare. What are your questions?" Shangri-la said.

"Well, first off. Where are we?" I asked.

"You are in the Realm of Blood, one of Granvania's four realms. Granvania is a world parallel to your world," Shangri-la said. "Your kind might call it 'the world of magic.'"

"How did we get here?" I asked.

"You were brought here by Mother Necessity, as it were," he said.

"Is-"

"It's a figure of speech." Shangri-la waved his hand. He sat forward in his chair. "Listen, this may be difficult to hear, but Granvania is counting on the two of you to help save the world."

Mahiru and I exchanged glances with wide eyes.

"Excuse me?" I said.

"Every century or so, two Visitors are brought here. Their presence is necessary for the survival of our species," Shangri-la said.

"I'm sorry, but Mahiru is pregnant. We can't just-"

"That's exactly my point," he said.

I stopped and blinked. "Okay?"

The king took in a breath. "You two both possess something called 'Potential.' It is completely undetectable and very rare. But, when two people with Potential come together and conceive a child, they create an entirely new being with unbelievable powers. We call them Star Children."

Mahiru's hand went to her stomach. It was a bit bigger now, actually protruding noticeably under her shirt. She looked at me with a worried brow.

"And Star Children, that's one thing we can detect," Shangri-la.

"What do you need Star Children for?" I asked.

Shangri-la stood up. He walked to the end of the platform and began to pace.

"Thousands of years ago, monsters roamed the land. They cut down Granians left and right. There was complete chaos. My people were on the verge of people completely destroyed," he said. "Then, we discovered Star Children. They were the only beings powerful enough to fight the monsters. With their help, we managed to drive them off the land. However, without their constant protection, the monsters would crawl right back."

"You sent children to fight?" I asked.

"Oh no, no, of course not." The king shook his head. He walked over to one of the knights. "We trained them as they grew. They became our Star Knights. And now, they protect us all."

"So, all the knights that helped us get here..."

"We all Star Children, just like the child growing inside Mahiru," Shangri-la said.

Mahiru's face turned pale. She stepped closer to me, grabbing onto my sleeve. "You want to take my child?"

The king took in another long breath. He looked at Mahiru with a soft expression. "Star Children may be born to people with Potential, but they are neither human nor Granian. They have no emotions and feel no pain. If left untouched, they grow into unstoppable forces of destruction," he said. He motioned to the knight at his right. "However, when properly trained, they can become productive members of society."

"Properly trained?" I said, gripping the strap of my bag. "You make them sound like pets."

"They are not pets. They are soldiers. They have saved all of us and will continue to do so with your help," Shangri-la said.

I tried to meet the eyes of the Star Knight, but they stared right through me. The one next to the king had a pointed nose and big ears. They looked vaguely masculine, but I couldn't pinpoint their exact gender. They just looked...human.

Mahiru still clung to my sleeve, one hand placed protectively over her stomach. Her eyebrows were knitted in an uneasy expression. Her face as still pale.

"And if we refuse?" I said.

"I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice in the matter," Shangri-la said. He frowned. "Listen, children, it brings me no joy to see you in pain. If you cooperate, you will live in luxury in this castle until your duty has been served. Then, Granvania will return you to your home."

"And if we don't cooperate?"

"I prefer not to entertain that option unless you show that is will be necessary," the king said. His frown deepened. "Let's just say, either way, we will get our Star Children."

My legs went stiff as if chains had been locked around them. Instead, I placed an arm around Mahiru, pulling her closer to me.

"Please, don't make them..." she whispered as she wrapped her arms around my sleeve.

"I won't. I promise," I whispered into her ear.

"Torth, will you please show them to their rooms," Shangri-la said. He waved his hand with an air of finality.

The bearded man, Torth, bowed again before motioning for us to follow him. The king sat back on his throne, resting his head in his hand. As we walked off, the dullness returned to his eyes.

We left the throne room.


	4. Chapter 4

"What are we doing to do?" Mahiru said quietly. Torth walked several paces ahead of us, leading us through the winding hallways of the castle.

"I don't know. There's not much we can do right now," I said.

"We have to do something! They're going to take our child!"

"They're also the only people that can help our child."

"You're not seriously saying-"

"No, I...I don't know. But the facts are that whatever's growing inside you isn't normal."

"Whatever's growing inside me? Itsuki, that our child you're talking about not some monster!"

"I know! I'm not going to let them take our child and turn them into one of those Star Knights. But we can't exactly just leave."

"Why not?"

"First of all, this place is huge and we have no idea where we're going. Second of all, they have those Star Knights everywhere. They'd find us for sure. And third, even if we did get out of here, you're still pregnant and we still know nothing about that!"

Mahiru stopped walking. I took a few steps, then stopped as well. I walked back to her, reaching out to grab her hand, but she pulled it away. Torth nearly turned the corner before stopping and turning back to us.

Tears rolled down Mahiru's rosy cheeks.

"Oh, darling, it's okay," Torth said, shuffling over to us with a pitiful expression.

Mahiru turned her head, rubbing her face to clear the tears. Without a word, she pushed ahead of us, turning the corner in the direction Torth was heading before stopping again.

"Mahiru," I said, catching up to her. I pulled her into a hug. Mahiru went stiff, keeping her arms by her side. I whispered in her ear, "We're gonna get out of here. I just need more information. As soon as I come up with a plan, we'll be gone. Okay?"

Mahiru relaxed. She nodded. I let go of her. Torth turned the corner and gave us a warm smile

"It's okay. This is only natural. You're in a new place with a new responsibility," Torth said. He walked past us, motioning for us to follow. We continued to walk behind him. "But it's really not that scary. Being chosen as a Maiden is an honor among Granians. I'm sure you'll feel better after talking to the others."

I slowed my pace. "The others?"

"The other Maidens," Torth said.

"There's other maidens?" I said.

"Of course! What, did you think we were going to make poor Mahiru here birth a whole army?" Torth laughed.

"How many maidens are there?" I asked.

"Four, well three, excluding Mahiru. One from each realm. They've been waiting their whole lives for you to come," Torth said.

"Waiting for me to..."

"Impregnate them, yes," Torth said.

My stomach churned.

"Excuse me?" Mahiru said.

"Uh oh, someone sounds a little jealous," Torth said with a grin.

"Wait, so you want me to just knock up four different girls?" I said

"Precisely."

"That's crazy! Aren't there other guys with a potential that can do it?"

"Unfortunately male Granians are incapable of carrying Potential. That's why you're so important," Torth said.

"But the other maidens have potential, like me?" Mahiru said. She stared at her feet and spoke in a low tone.

"Yes, but Itsuki is the only male in the all of Granvania with Potential."

"No pressure," I said under my breath.

Mahiru gripped my arm tighter.

We turned another corner and entered a long hallway. The walls were lined with windows, showing just how high up we really were. Orange light filtered in through the windows. Below us, masses of people milled around in the courtyard as the sun set. Beyond the stone streets and buildings was the circular river. All of this land was still just another section of the island.

My heart felt light. I turned away from the windows and noticed the blonde woman at the end of hall standing in front of a tall set of doors. The doors bore four symbols on it: a yellow diamond, a green club, a blue spade, and a red heart.

What stood out about this girl was her unique outfit. She was the first person we had seen since arriving here that was wearing yellow. As we got closer, I saw more of her. Her blonde hair was styled in large curls that fell around her shoulders and down to her arms. Her skin was fair and was dotted with a few stray freckles. Her eyes were yellow, much like her outfit.

She was wearing a tight white dress lined with yellow and decorated with diamond patterns. The dress was unusually short, ending just below her crotch. That wasn't the only unusual thing. Her breasts were larger than any I had ever laid eyes on. The fabric of her top was barely being kept together by a few diamond shaped buttons.

Cautiously, I averted my eyes, looking instead at her feet. She wore pale high heels over yellow knee-high socks.

I shut my eyes and took in a breath.

We reached the end of the hall and stopped. Torth raised his hand and said, "Behold, The new Visitor, Itsuki, and Maiden of Blood, Mahiru."

"Thank you, Torth. I'll take it from here," the yellow lady said.

Torth nodded, turned, and walked back down the hall. I felt the yellow lady's eyes run us over.

I shivered.

"Welcome, Itsuki, Mahiru, to your new home," she said.

She turned away from us and pushed open the doors. It opened into a short hall with two doors on each side. The hall opened into a room that was just as grand as the rest of the castle. The floor was covered in sleek tile that sparkled so much you would think it was completely impervious to dirt. The walls were golden and adorned with intricate carvings that ran up and down the hall. Golden seats were placed down the center of the room. On one of the seats, towards the back, sat a young girl. It was hard to make out her age, or really anything about her from where I stood. All I could make out was her green outfit and white hair. She didn't move as we made our way into the hall.

"Come on and prepare yourself for the greatest tour of all time!" the yellow lady said. "You'll be meeting the others along the way and then we'll go over the rules."

Mahiru's shoulders slumped. She nearly fell forward, but I caught her.

"Mahiru?" I said.

"Oh dear," the yellow lady said.

Mahiru said something, but it was too quiet for me to make out.

"What?" I asked.

"I'm so tired of introductions and rules and tours," Mahiru said. "I just wanna go home."

"Oh, sweetheart, it's okay," the yellow lady said. She stepped closer to us, leaned down, and put a hand on Mahiru's shoulder. "It is kinda late. How about this, I'll show you to your room and let you rest. You can deal with all the rest of this in the morning. Does that sound good?"

The lady's breath was hot so close to my skin. Her hair fell over her shoulder as she leaned down, giving me a clear display of her bosom. My eyes traced her figure before I tore them away.

Mahiru paused, then slowly nodded.

The lady smiled. We helped Mahiru stand up. Mahiru took the lady's hand as she led Mahiru to one of the doors in the hall and pressed a button. A light above the door lit up. The lady slide the doors open, revealing a small box. It looked like an elevator, but the walls glowed unnaturally. The lady helped Mahiru step inside. I went in too, sliding the doors shut beneath me. The room shook and then began to move. It moved down a bit before

coming to a stop. The lady slid the doors back open.

At first, it looked as though I was looking at the same hall as before. However, as we stepped out of the elevator and the hall, I realized that we were on a different floor. The room this hall led into was much longer and did not bear the same strictly red color palette the rest of the castle seemed to follow. The right wall was split between blue and green. The left wall was split between red and yellow. The wall at the end was decorated with accents of opals and other white gems. The room had been split between four color palettes with white at the end to tie it together.

The lady led Mahiru to the door on the side decorated with red crystals. I followed them into the room, which was decorated similar to the entry room but we were back to red being the only accent color. We helped Mahiru onto the bed in the center of the room.

I slipped my bag off my shoulder and took Mahiru's shoes off as she shifted her head onto the pillow. Her eyes were shut and her breathing was steady. Even her eyebrows were relaxed. She looked so...peaceful.

I pulled the satin red sheets over her shoulders. She shifted one last time before relaxing again. Her hair fell over her calm face. Her forehead was so smooth and glossy.

I bent over, moving to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. Then, I stopped. The lady was still standing in the corner, not making a move. Her heels clicked as she took a step towards the door.

A strand of chocolate hair circled one of Mahiru's cheeks. With a careful hand, I pushed it behind her ear, letting my fingers caress her silky skin. Then, I stood up straight and turned away from her. On my towards the door, I slipped my bag off the floor and over my shoulder.

I locked eyes with the lady, who smiled in return. I shut the door slowly, barely making a sound we left.

"Sorry about that," I said.

"It's fine, you must be awfully tired from your trip here," the lady said.

I opened my mouth to say something but shut it after a moment. Instead, I nodded.

"Oh, that's right, I still haven't introduced myself, have I?" the lady laughed. She placed a hand on her chest. "Silly me, I'm Reone, the Maiden of Crystals."

"So, you are a maiden," I said.

"Yes, sir, just like your girlfriend," Reone said.

"Mahiru's not my girlfriend," I said quick.

"Oh, I see," Her eyes squinted a bit as she looked me over. "Well, it's great to have you two here. It's not often we receive a Visitor as good-looking as you."

I felt my cheeks grow warm. "Oh, um, thank you?"

"Sure thing," she said with a wink. "Well, if you're not too tired, why don't we start our little tour?"

"Okay."

Reone walked a few steps to the center of the room. She held up her hands. "This is the Maiden's quarters. You've already seen the Maiden of Blood's room. My room's right over there."

She pointed to the door that was decorated with yellow diamonds. Then, she pointed to the door on the other end of that wall, the one with the green clubs.

"That there is the Maiden of Leaves' room. Her name's Mirei. I think she's upstairs right now. I saw her on the way in."

"Oh, yeah, the one with white hair?"

"That's the one," Reone said. The pointed to the last door, the one next to Mahiru's room, with blue spades. "And that's the Maiden of Flow's room. Her name's Liris. I wonder if she's in..."

Reone walked over to the blue door. I stepped closer to her as she knocked.

"Liris, honey, you in there?" she called.

There was no answer.

Reone shrugged. "Maybe she's upstairs."

"Maybe."

"That Liris, total cutie, dreadfully shy." Reone shook her head. "Well, that's the ground floor. You can enter any of our rooms at any time."

"Any time?" I said, raising my eyebrows.

"Uh-huh, but don't worry, we can't barge in on you."

"That seems a little unfair."

"It's the rules. They're the rules for a reason," Reone said, walking past me to the elevator.

"Still."

"Hey, we all got the same goal. Just try and keep that in mind," Reone said. She stood at the end of the room. "Shall we?"

I followed her into the elevator. She pressed a button and it began to rise.

"So does this run on electricity or..." I said.

"No, silly, it's magic. There's no electricity In Granvania," Reone said.

"Ah, I see," I said with a nod.

"There's stairs on the other side of the hall, but I always use the lifter."

"Is that what this thing is called?"

"Yup, you catch on quick."

The elevator, or "lifter" I suppose, shook again as it came to a stop. Reone stepped out. We were back on the floor we came in on, but it was empty now.

"This is the main floor," Reone said, leading me into the grand room. "This is the community room. To the right is the dining room and to the left is the entertainment room."

"What's in the entertainment room?"

"Oh, lots of things, there's books, games, instruments, potions, and so on."

"What kind of games?" I asked.

"Here." Reone grabbed my hand. "I'll just show you."

She led me into the room to the left. This room had actual carpet and had the same dusty smell I would expect from a library. The far wall was lined with windows that brought light to the whole room.

Half the room was filled with bookcases and padded chairs. The other half was more miscellaneous. There was a chessboard against one wall with a strange looking guitar sitting by it. In another corner sat a small cabinet with sewing supplies. There were large spools of brightly colored threads, the kind of colors Mahiru liked to use when she did her needlepoint work.

For a moment, I could see her there, stitching away with that determined expression of hers. She would look up at me and show off her work. I would pretend not to be impressed. She would get so flustered before I broke character, laughing and telling her that it looked wonderful.

"Ah, Mirei, there you are," Reone said. The illusion of Mahiru disappeared as I blinked and followed her gaze.

On the other side of the room, half hidden by the bookcases, sat the same white-haired girl from before. She looked up at us with a blank expression and set down the book she was holding.

"Greetings," she said. She stood up and walked over to us. As she got closer, I saw her eyes were the same intense shade of green that C 21's eyes.

"This is the new Visitor, Itsuki," Reone said.

"It's nice to meet you," I said, holding out my hand.

Mirei looked at my hand, then at me. Awkwardly, I put my hand down, mentally kicking myself.

"Mirei here's the Maiden of Leaves," Reone said.

Mirei nodded.

Reone put her hands on her hips and looked around the room. "Hey, you wouldn't know where Liris is by any chance?"

Mirei shook her head.

Reone sighed. "I guess we can check the kitchen while I show Itsuki."

She began to walk out the room. I looked between her and Mirei.

"Uh, see you around, I guess?" I said.

She nodded, then turned to walk back to her book.

I followed Reone out of the entertainment room and across the hall into the dining room. Reone pointed out the gold plated chairs and fancy tablecloth that apparently was meticulously crafted over a hundred years ago. She told me that breakfast, lunch, and dinner were served at 8:00, 12:00, and 5:00 respectively.

"You won't have to worry about that, though. You can pretty much eat whenever," Reone added.

"Then why the times?" I asked.

"The times are for us Maidens," she said. "Or if you want to eat with us. You can also request for select Maidens to eat a different time if you want a dinner date."

Reone winked with that last comment. It only made my shoulders tense.

"And you all are just...okay with that?" I asked.

"Of course!" Reone said.

She moved on without any more explanation, showing me the door to the kitchen and telling me about the all-female maid service with a smirk. Then, we left the dining room and returned to the lifter.

There was still no sign of Liris. Reone said she must be hiding.

"The top floor is your floor, so I'm gonna need your verbal consent to enter," she said as the lifter came to a stop.

"Okay, how do I do that?" I asked.

"Can I come into your room?" she asked.

"Yes, of course," I said.

"That's all you needed to say, silly," Reone said. She stepped out of the elevator into another small hall.

This hall opened up into a room that looked like Mahiru's room, but much, much bigger. A king-sized canopy bed sat in the center of the room above an intricate rug that looked more expensive than everything I've ever owned combined. The walls were lined with the same golden carvings along with beautiful paintings on landscapes and beautiful women. There was a white grand piano in one corner and a personal gym in the other.

"That door leads to the master bathroom, and that one leads to the walk-in closet," Reone said, pointing to the doors on either side of the room.

I walked further into the room, letting my eyes run over everything in the room. My bag slipped off my arm and onto the ground. The sound echoed around the room.

"This is huge," I said.

"Well, of course," Reone said with a smirk. "It's the Visitor's bedroom, arguably the most important bedroom in the whole kingdom."

"What about the king's bedroom?"

"Wouldn't be no king without the Star Knights, now would there?"

"Are Star Knights really that powerful?"

"They can be."

Reone motioned to the bed, "It's real hasha fur. It's so soft, you gotta try it."

Hesitantly, I walked over to the bed. I ran my fingers over the sheets, but it felt no different from the fabric on earth.

"No, silly," Reone said. She walked over to me and sat down on the bed. It bounced under her. "I've always wanted to do that. Come on."

"Oh, um, okay." I sat down next to her, feeling my weight sink into the bed. It seemed to morph around me, creating a texture that was firm yet soft at the same time. "Wow."

Reone sat up straight. "Anyways, we've still got a few rules to go over, but I'll try to make it fast. You can leave at any time, but you can't bring any of the Maidens with you. And you can't leave the island with accompaniment."

"Wait, why can't I take a maiden with me?"

Reone pursed her lips, which were coated in a bright red color that emphasized just how large and pump they were. "Let's just say, it's really dangerous for Maidens to be around men. Well, men besides the Visitor."

"Why?"

"Well, Maidens have something called Potential..."

"Yeah, I know about Potential and how I'm the only guy here with it. What does that have to do with keeping the maidens trapped here?"

"Maidens lose their Potential if they sleep with men who don't have Potential. This wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for the fact that a lot of Granian men see Maidens as some sort of forbidden fruit," Reone said. She paused. "You know what I'm getting at?"

"I can guess," I said with a grimace. "Still, it seems really unfair."

"We all got the same goal," Reone said. "That's really all that matters, right?"

"I'm starting to not think so." I leaned back.

Reone leaned towards me, the fabric of her top drooping down a bit. "Speaking of that goal, let me tell you the rules of your job."

I took in a quick breath and nodded, trying not to stare at her.

She looked me in the eye. "In past generations, it worked out to alternate between two girls so each girl could have a week to give birth and recover. It doesn't matter who, but as long as we end up with eight Star Children a month, you're in the clear."

Reone scooted closer to me. She smelled like coconuts and flowers. I could feel her breath on my skin.

"You've already done part of your job this week. You should probably do the rest of it soon," she said.

"You mean, sleep with another maiden?" I asked.

"Mhm," she said. Her eyes drooped as she leaned closer to me. She got right next to my ear. "Are you ready to save the world?"

My shoulders tensed as a war raged in my head. Then, Reone drew back a bit, so our faces were right in front of each other. I could see every freckle that dotted her nose.

She smiled.

My shoulders relaxed. We shut our eyes as lips closed together. She wrapped her arms under my shoulders, brings me closer to her as my hands cupped her face. Her skin was soft and smooth. She held back nothing as we collapsed onto the bed together.

And for just a moment, everything felt right.


	5. Chapter 5

I don't remember falling asleep, but when I woke up, Reone was sleeping next to me. She had one hand on my bare chest, the other curled next to her face. Her golden curls had fallen out during the night. Instead, strands of her hair fell loosely on the translucent yellow dress she wore that barely covered her breasts.

I sat up carefully, taking her hand and placing it on the warm mattress behind me. Then, I slipped out of the bed, feeling the cool tile press against my toes. The air clung to my exposed skin. I looked from right to left, trying to remember which was the bathroom and which was the closet.

After quietly straightening up for the day, I left the room with freshly brushed hair and a simple, grey tone outfit, which seemed to be the only color in the wardrobe. As soon as I stepped out of the lifter to the second floor, a maid greeted me.

"Good morning, Visitor," she said. She wore a traditional maid outfit. Her brown hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail. She spoke quickly, but politely. "I hope you slept well. Was the temperature in your room okay? The Maiden of Blood told us you like it a little on the cold side. The girls have already eaten breakfast, but we have everything prepared to cook your food as soon as you place your order."

"Uh, thank you. The temperature is fine and I'm not really hungry," I said. "Where is Mahiru? I mean, um, the Maiden of Blood?

"She's in her room at the moment," the maid said.

"Okay, thank you," I said, hitting the button to retrieve the lifter.

"You're very welcome. Let us know if you need anything," she said as the lifter doors opened.

I stepped inside, letting the doors close as the maid stood with a perfect smile on her face. There were bags under her eyes.

The doors shut and the lifter shook as it took me to the ground floor. When they opened again, another maid greeted me.

"Good morning, Visitor," she said. She wore the same outfit as the maid upstairs, but her hair was a bit darker and the bags under her eyes were less defined. "How can I help you?

"I'm fine, thank you," I said, stepping out of the lifter. "Is the Maiden of Blood in her room?"

"Yes," the maid answered.

"Okay, thanks," I said, walking past her and making my way to Mahiru's room.

I reached to open the door but stopped as my hand touched the doorknob. I paused, then pulled my hand back to knock instead.

"Who is it?" Mahiru said. Her voice sounded weak, weaker than normal.

"Itsuki," I said.

Mahiru groaned. "Go away."

"Mahiru..."

"I said go away!" Mahiru said.

There was a thud as something hit the door from the other end.

I took a step back. The maid was peeking in from the hall. She gave me an apologetic look.

"Maidens are not permitted to deny the Visitor entry to their rooms," she said.

Mahiru groaned again. There was the sound of feet stomping, which grew louder until the door swung open.

Mahiru's hair was disheveled and her eyes were red. She was wearing a crimson robe and matching slippers. Both were decorated with a single heart symbol stitched in white. She looked properly pregnant now, with her belly almost poking out of her robe.

I conjured up my brightest smile for her.

"Hey," I said. "Are you feeling any better."

She gave me a deadpan look.

"No," she said. She took a step back, pulling the door open.

I walked in. Mahiru shut the door behind me.

Her room looked the same as it had last night, save the covers on the bed which were crumbled up at the end.

"So I guess they already told you about the rules?" I asked as I sat on one of the chairs against the wall.

"Yeah," Mahiru said. Her eyebrows were lowered, but there was no light in her eyes. She made her way to her bed and sat down with her back to me.

"Pretty messed up, right?"

Mahiru didn't respond. She just stared ahead.

"It's fine. We won't be here long. I just need a bit more time to gather more information," I said.

Mahiru scoffed. "Of course," she said in a bitter tone.

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I knew you'd want to stay."

"I don't want to stay. What are you talking about? I just said-"

"I know you fucked Reone," Mahiru said, gripping the edge of the bed as she spoke.

I shut my mouth tightly. "How-"

"She told me, you asshole."

"Mahiru..."

"Don't," Mahiru said.

There was a moment of uneasy silence. Mahiru's shoulders were bunched so tensely. I bit the inside of my cheek.

I stood up. My legs moved to take a step closer to her but stopped when she spoke.

"Just leave, please," she whispered. Her words wavered. I couldn't see her face, but I knew there were tears in her eyes.

I hesitated, then my shoulders relaxed. I walked to the door, but paused when I put my hand on the handle. "I'm going to get us out of here. I promise."

Mahiru didn't make a sound. She sat perfectly still.

I left the room, shutting the door behind me. I stared at the tiled floor, seeing only my own feet faintly reflected below me.

I heard the sound of footsteps and looked up in time to catch the gaze of a girl I didn't recognize. Her feet were positioned to leave the hall, her hand on the handle to the blue door.

She wore a surprised expression, with hints of fear etched across her pale face. Her nose was small and buttoned. Silky strands of black hair fell around her blue dress. Some of it was pulled behind the ear with a spade-shaped clip. I swear I have never seen a girl with such long hair. Her dress was short, ending just above the knees, which were covered with black and white stockings. The dress was adorned with spade-shaped patterns and pendants.

She was just as beautiful as the other Maidens, if not more beautiful. There was one thing that was off about her: her bright red eyes, which were fixed on me.

I stared back at her.

She turned away from me, opening the door to her room.

"Wait-" I said, taking a step towards her.

She froze, her hands clenching together and pulling away from the door. Her shoulder hunched forward. Her eyes focused on the ground.

It wasn't exactly the response I was expecting. I took a breath. What was the name of the Maiden of Flow, again?

"Liris?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Oh, it's good to finally meet you."

"Y-you too," she said softly. Her voice was high but smooth as if she was singing. She stayed curled up as she stood in front of her door.

"I guess I'll see you around?" I said.

She nodded.

"Okay, bye then," I said.

She gave another quick nod before opening the door and slipping into her room. The door clicked shut behind her.

I let out a breath. I guess I wouldn't get much information from her. Besides, I had things to do. Namely...

After asking around, I found Reone in the entertainment room, flipping through a highly technical book.

"What the hell, Reone?" I asked.

She looked up from her book with a smile. "Ah, good morning, Visitor."

"Why did you tell Mahiru?"

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb."

"I'm not playing dumb. I'm just asking. Why wouldn't I keep the other Maidens up to date with our progress?"

"Mahiru is sensitive!" My hands balled into fists. "And now she's super pissed at me."

"She'll get over it," Reone said, closing her book. She turned away from me to put the book on the shelf. "After all, it's not like she's your girlfriend. We're all just business partners."

"I don't think she sees it that way."

"Does she not see it that way?" Reone walked over to me. She stood a foot away from my face. "Or do you not see it that way?"

We locked eyes for a only a moment before I looked away.

I crossed my arms. "It's a delicate situation."

Reone gave a short laugh. "Alright," she said. She took a step back. Then, she paused. "I'm sorry that Mahiru is upset. I didn't want to hurt her feelings. Really. It was bound to happen, but it still sucks."

My shoulders relaxed. "It's fine. She'll get over it."

Reone nodded. She turned away from me and pulled out another book. "After all...

"She has to."

I spent the next two days gathering as much information on Granvania as I could. The books in the library weren't very helpful, as they mostly talked about different myths and highly fanciful historic events.

At first, with the reality of magic, it was hard to tell fact from fiction. Reone wasn't much help, as she apparently "flunked out of history." Surprisingly, Mirei was willing to offer some assistance. Although, her idea of assistance was answering all of my questions with "yes" or "no" so in the end all she could do was confirm or deny the facts.

Speaking of magic, there was a lot of information about it in the books, but it was fairly inconsistent. One book insisted that Granians could not use magic; others told of spells that could be performed. One book said that magical creatures did not exist, while another described legends of magical beings resembling the fae or elves. One book talked about the healing properties of magic, while technical manuals said that magic's true purpose was just an energy source for their machines. I asked Mirei lots of questions about magic, but the topic seemed to disinterest her. At one point, she simply closed the book she had been reading and left mid-question.

I didn't press her after that.

For the most part, I just learned about the culture of Granvanian, which seemed no different from the Medieval times. One book did mention neighboring countries. When I asked Mirei about it, all she said was, "There are no countries that border Granvanian."

Strangely, there were no books that talked about Star Children or Maidens.

As for the other maidens, I didn't see Liris except for meal times. She would come in, eat as fast as she could, and leave immediately. Mahiru refused to see me. Everytime I entered the same room as her, she would leave. I tried not to take it personally.

After a day and a half, I was used to the staff of our little corner of the castle. There were only fifteen maids, the four maidens, and me. I tried to remember the maid's names and faces, but they keep their interactions short. I considered trying to leave the castle soon to clear my head and avoid cabin fever, but every time the thought crossed my mind, all I could picture was Mahiru's miserable face as she stayed behind.

Apparently, I didn't need to leave to see a fresh face. Around noon of our second day, we received a visitor.

I walked into the main room to see a man with fiery red hair sitting with Liris. I've never seen Liris look so vivid. Her eyes were wide with a sly grin on her face. When she spoke, her feet bounced. It was a strange sight. I wished I could make out what they were saying.

Then, as I took another step closer, Liris's face froze. She locked eyes with mine only for a moment before turning to stare at the ground, her expression back to the reserved form I was used to. The redhead followed her gaze and look me over.

"Hi?" I said, giving them a friendly wave.

The man's face broke into a large grin as I walked towards them. There was a wildness in his eyes, like the laugh of a hyena.

"Ah, good afternoon," the man called out.

As I got closer, I saw his red eyes and realized that he was the guy that stormed out of the King's room.

"Good afternoon," I said.

Liris took the opportunity to give me a slight nod before scampering away. The man watched her leave before turning to me with that bright smile.

"You must be the Visitor," he said.

"Yes, Itsuki Yuge. And you are?"

The man raised his eyebrows. Then, he smiled and laughed a bit. "Right, you're from Sola. Most people recognize me as the prince of this wonderful land," he said, shaking his head. Then, he put a hand on his chest. "Narcisstes, it's an honor to meet you."

"The honor is mine, your majesty," I said. My mind froze as I debated whether or not I was supposed to bow. I settled on a polite nod, like I had seen Liris do.

"Please, call me Nars," he said.

"Okay, Nars," I said. "What brings you here?"

"Eh, I was just curious," Nars said. "Wanted to see the room where it happens with my own eyes, metaphorically speaking."

"Ah, yes, well," I held up my hands. "Welcome."

"Thank you," Nars said. He leaned back, putting his hands on his hips as he looked around the hall. "It's quite the sight."

"Yeah, well, this whole castle is rather impressive," I said.

"Of course, it's the most impressive place in all the four realms."

"The Realm of Blood, the Realm of Crystals, the Realm of Leaves, and the Realm of Flow, correct?"

"Hey, someone's been doing their research."

"Not much else to do," I said, putting my hands in my pockets.

"Are you kidding?" Nars said, turning to me with that wild grin. "Don't tell me you're bored."

"Not exactly."

"Come on, you're surrounded by the world's most beautiful woman and your only job is to fuck," Nars said, his smile unwavering. "Sounds like paradise to me."

I laughed awkwardly, my arms feeling stiff. "Maybe they should have given you the job."

Nars shook his head and threw up his hands. "If only. That's not really how it works, though, eh?"

"I suppose not," I said.

There was a moment of silence. Nars was looking directly at me, unblinking as he held my gaze. I stared back at him. As I looked at his deep red eyes, questions filled my mind.

"So, do you know Liris?" I asked.

He blinked. "Oh, Liris? Not really."

"Huh," I said. "I've just never seen her so...lively."

Nars shrugged. "You just gotta know the right things to say."

"The charismatic prince, huh?"

"What?"

"Nevermind," I said, turning away from him to pretend to study one of the paintings on the wall. It was a rather detailed depiction of a cow with a black patch over one eye. There was something undeniably creepy about the black expression that the animal wore.

I shivered.

"You and Mahi were friends before all this, right?" Nars asked.

I turned back to him, my eyebrows lowering. "Mahi?"

"What? Your names are hard to remember," Nars said, holding up his hands in mock defense.

"Mahiru."

"That's the one."

"Yeah, we were good friends."

"And now she's ghosting you?"

I raised an eyebrow. Nars crossed his arms and gave me a nonchalant shrug.

"The maids are chatty," he said.

"She's just having a hard time adjusting," I said.

"Such a shame," Nars said. He hung his head, his eyes following the outline of the ceiling. "She's pretty cute."

My shoulders tensed. I opened my mouth to say something but bit my tongue back.

"If she wasn't a Maiden, I'd try to take her for myself," he said, repositioning his head to look at me.

My shoulders burned, but I forced them to relax. I pushed to corners of my mouth up.

"I guess it's too bad she's a Maiden," I said.

"Too bad." he nodded, no longer meeting my gaze. He seemed fixated on a spot past my head, his eyes glossed over. Then, he blinked and that wild smile was back in full force. "Well, I should get going."

He walked past me, heading to the door. I watched him saunter down the hall. He held up a hand as he reached the hall.

"See you around, Visitor."

"See you, Nars."

The maid opened the door for him, and then he was gone.

I stood in the hall, watching the sunbeams filter in through the crack in the door. His words echoing in my head left a sour taste on my tongue. But, for the life of me, I didn't know why.

I went back to my research, losing myself in the books until I had completely forgotten about my encounter with the prince.


	6. Chapter 6

Night fell and the screams began.

I paced outside Mahiru's room, watching the maids shuffle in and out with sweat rolling down their faces. They wouldn't let me in no matter how much I begged.

They did, however, let Reone in. She tried to reassure me, telling me that they were all trained nurses and that Mahiru's pain would end soon.

It wasn't very reassuring.

Eventually, the screams did stop, then a new cry filled the air. It was the distinctly high-pitched cry of a child. I stopped pacing and ran to the door. The maid in front of the door held up a hand.

"Just a little longer," she said. "Then you can comfort the Maiden."

"What about my-" I asked.

"The rules forbid the Visitor from seeing the Star Child."

"That's a terrible rule!" I said, balling my fists. Instead, I took to pacing in a small circumference until I was practically just spinning in front of the door.

Then, there was a knock on the door.

"Please, step back," the maid told me.

"No." I stood my ground.

"Step back or I'll have to use force."

"I'd like to see you-"

Before I could finish my sentence, the maid hit me in the torso with a strong blow. The strength suddenly left my knees and I fell to the ground. The maid opened the door.

Two more maids walked out. One of them held a bundle. From my position, all I could see was a tuff of light brown hair.

I reached out a hand. "Wait!"

The maids walked straight past me, moving to the lifter and disappearing from view. My hand stayed frozen in the air, not able to reach any further. I slowly pulled back my fingers. An invisible weight fell on my shoulders.

For the first time since settling into this corner of the castle, that feeling of cold shackles returned. It gave me enough of a shock to stand up.

Then, I noticed the crying had not gone away. It wasn't the cry of a baby, though. This cry came from an all-too-familiar source.

Through the open door, I could see the maids holding Mahiru back as she bawled on her bed. Reone stood to the side, one hand resting on her own enlarged stomach. Her expression was unreadable. She looked up and met my eyes. She tried to smile, but it looked far too strained to be convincing.

My legs felt heavy as I walked into the room. Mahiru stopped struggling when she saw me. Her hair was a mess and her face was red.

"Itsuki?" she said. Her voice was hoarse.

"I'm here," I said, moving to her bedside.

The maids moved away as I got closer. Mahiru's head fell a bit, her mouth quivering as the sobs returned. I sat on the bed next to her.

Mahiru fell onto my chest, gripping the fabric of my shirt as she wailed. I moved to wrap my arms around her but hesitated. A strand of Mahiru's hair fell over her shoulder as she buried her head into my shirt. I curled my arms curled around her, feeling every shaky breath she took.

"They took him away, Itsuki," she cried.

"I know," I whispered.

Her breathing slowed a bit. She still shook, but the sobs were caught in her throat. Then, she spoke so softly I could barely hear her. "I didn't even get to hold him," she said. Then, her shoulder hunched and the shaking returned. Through tears, she spoke again. "I just wanted to hold him and they wouldn't even let me-"

"It's okay," I said, but my words felt hollow. I ran my fingers through her matted hair as I hushed her. "It's okay."

"Itsuki," she cried.

"It's okay. I'm here."

She stopped moving, holding her breath for a moment. Then, she let the breath go, listening to the jittery exhale. "Bring him back," she said in a low voice.

"I-"

"Bring him back!" she screamed.

The crying continued. I held her, feeling her teardrops soak into my shirt. I looked over to Reone. Her eyebrows were pinched, but her lips were frozen in a tight line. One of her hands was balled on top of her stomach. When she saw me looking at her, she relaxed her shoulders.

"You did a great job, Mahiru," Reone said. "I know that was rough on you, but your Star Child will do amazing things. He just has to go through training."

"I don't want him to go through training. I want him here!" Mahiru said.

Reone opened her mouth again but shut it, her eyebrows lowering a bit.

"I know this is difficult, but you truly are a hero. Your Star Child was 'A' class. He'll grow up to be a general for sure. He'll save hundreds of thousands of lives," Reone said.

"Stop it!" Mahiru screamed, pulling on my shirt.

Reone's eyes widened. Then, her face relaxed. Silently, she stood up, nodded, then walked to the door. Mahiru continued to cry, showing no change as Reone left.

"I didn't even get to hold him," she said.

"It's gonna be okay."

"They just kept talking to each other and calling him numbers like he was an animal," Mahiru said.

A chill ran through my spine. My feet felt cold. I could feel that invisible metal touch my skin.

"They didn't even let me name him," she said. She sniffled, calming down a bit. Then, she pulled away from me. "They didn't even let me give him this."

She reached under her pillow and pulled out a small white blanket. In one corner, a single character was stitched with bright green thread: 潮.

"Ushio?" I read.

Mahiru nodded. She wiped away the tears building in her eyes. "It would work for a boy or a girl. I picked it out years ago. I didn't think..."

Her mouth wavered as another sob fought its way up her throat. I held her hand.

"It's a beautiful name," I said.

"But now he'll never even know," Mahiru said. She hung her head. Dark circles appeared on the white fabric as her tears hit the blanket. "I just wanted to hold him."

"You will," I said.

A feeling overtook me, stronger than anything I have felt before. The metal clinging to my feet was gone, replaced with a burning sensation. My hands shook with this feeling. I balled them into fists, gripping Mahiru's hand and the blanket. Mahiru looked up at me with wide eyes.

"You will?" Mahiru asked in a soft voice.

I grabbed the blanket and stood up. "I'm going to bring Ushio back.

"I promise."

Mahiru and I slept in the same bed that night. She didn't want to be alone, and I couldn't leave in the dark. But, as soon as I woke up, I left. I folded the blanket and put it in a bag, along with a few supplies. Then, I rode the lifter to the second floor and threw open those heavy doors. I expected there to be more resistance to me leaving, but it seemed that I really could leave at any time.

Mahiru had to stay behind.

The castle was huge and seemingly impossible to navigate. There were Star Knights around every corner, but none of them would answer any of my questions. Even the maids and butlers seemed to avoid me.

After what felt like hours, I finally ran into a familiar face.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Visitor!"

I turned around to see Prince Nars walking towards me with a girl wrapped around one arm. She looked young, no older than eighteen. She had a mountain of dark blonde hair, done up in curls similar to Reone's. Her slanted red eyes had an almost animalistic quality to them. The golden ears coming out of her hair may have contributed to this look.

"Prince Nars," I said. "It's good to see you again."

"Good to see you too," Nars said. He followed my gaze, glancing at the girl hanging on his arm and smirked. "Oh, this is Femiruna. She's my...friend."

"It's nice to meet you, Femiruna," I said. "I'm Itsuki Yuge."

"The pleasure is mine, Visitor," she said with a warm smile.

"Now what's the lion doing out of his cage, hm?" Nars asked.

"I'm just exploring," I said, doing my best to keep my face casual.

"Oh?" Femiruna said. Her voice had a strange quality to it, like she was speaking with a barely noticeable accent.

"Well, I got curious about the castle and our place in it."

"Come on, you just got tired of seeing the same chicks every day, didn't you?" Nars said.

"Haha, maybe."

"I heard about the birth. Congrats, man."

My hand twitched, but I fought to keep a smile on my face. "Oh, yeah, thanks. Kinda crazy. One minute Mahiru's pregnant, then they're taking away the kid to become a knight."

"What an honor," Femiruna said with a hum.

"You couldn't happen to know where they train them, would you?" I asked.

"Hm, train who?" Femirua tilted her head.

"The Star Children."

"Oh," Femiruna said. She looked up at Nars who shook his head.

"Sorry man, all that stuff is super top secret. I mean, they can't just let anyone walk into a training camp," Nars said. "Not even I know where the place is."

I studied his face. He met my gaze with ease, not even blinking as I stared. His eyes were wide with that wild look, impossible to read. I bit the inside of my mouth, my smile threatening to break.

"Oh well," I said. "Thanks anyway. I'll let you two get back to it."

"Alright," Nars said. "Have fun exploring."

We walked past each other with a wave. Moving to the end of the hall, I hear the hard "s" sound of whispering. I turned back to see Femiruna holding a hand over her mouth as she leaned towards Nars. Her eyes darted back to me before they turned the corner and disappeared.

I stood there for a moment. The halls before me were just as unnavigable as the ones behind me.

I gulped.

In the end, I gave us and retraced my steps the best I could until I found myself back at the hall to my corner of the castle.

I shut the heavy doors behind me, my shoulders sagging in defeat. Dinner had been served long ago, so I didn't expect to see any of the Maidens in the main hall. My eyebrows lifted as I was greeted by one.

"Oh, um, welcome back," Liris said. She tugged at her impossibly long hair, which was tied in a ponytail, her signature spade hairpin still in place. Though, I got the sense that she would be hiding behind those raven locks if she could. Her red eyes darted around the room, falling anywhere that wasn't my face.

"Thank you," I said.

"Did you...did you have a nice walk?" she asked, meeting my eyes for the briefest of moments before turning away. Her hands shook as she ran them through the end of her ponytail.

I sighed. "It was fine."

Liris nodded. "Good."

I took a step forward, moving to the elevator, but stopped when I saw her flinch. Her face was already so pale; I was surprised to see it get whiter. She gripped her hair and her shoulders tensed.

I froze, looking her over. She stayed still for a moment, before relaxing a bit and looking towards me.

"Are you...okay?" I asked.

She nodded but still wouldn't meet my eyes.

I pursed my lips. Then, I slowly held up my hands. "I'm not going to hurt you. You know that, right?" I said in the calmest voice I could muster.

"Yes, of course, I would never make accusations about the Visitor," Liris said. Her voice wavered as she spoke.

"Okay, it's just you seem a little scared," I said, lowering my hands.

"I'm sorry," Liris said. She let go of her hair and put her hands behind her back. Straightening my back, she raised her gaze to my chest. The ends of her lips turned up into a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I promise to not seem scared in the future."

"You don't have to-" I sighed. "Listen, it's okay if you're scared. But I'm not going to do anything to hurt you, so you have no reason to be scared of me."

Liris nodded. She stayed still, hand folded behind her back, eyes locked just below my face. Then, her eyes glistened. Tears began to fill her lash line. As soon as the first one fell, her shoulders tensed. Quickly, she wiped it away. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm fine."

"Hey, it's-" I took a step closer to her, then stopped. Liris kept wiping away tears. I reached out a hand, then pulled it back, looking around for anyone to help. The hall was empty, save the two of us.

"I'm sorry, it's not your fault. I know it's not your fault. But I-" she said, her sobs cutting her off.

What was up with me and making girls cry lately?

"Can you tell me what's wrong? Are you hurt? Well, I mean, like emotionally?" I said. I rubbed my arm. "Is that even a thing?"

"I can't do this," she said. She grabbed her head, loosening her spade pin. It fell onto the ground, clattering onto the cold tile.

We both stared at it.

Tears filled her eyes again. She held her head in her hands, apologizing over and over again.

I took a deep breath.

She turned away from me as I walked over to her. Kneeling down, I picked up the pin.

"It's okay. You don't have to apologize," I said, standing up. I held the pin out to her. We were only a foot apart now.

Her shoulders relaxed a little. Her hands fell from her face. She turned back to me, her red eyes landing on the pin. "I'm-" she reached out the pin as she spoke, then paused. "Thank you."

She took the pin.

I opened my mouth, then shut it again. Then, I took in another breath and spoke. "Is this about your responsibilities as a Maiden?"

Liris' grip on the hairpin tightened. She pressed her lips together, then nodded.

"I understand," I said. Then, I smiled. "You know, I'm kinda relieved. This whole thing is absolutely insane, but everyone kept acting like it was fine. I was started to worry that I was the only one who thought this was messed up."

She looked up at me, her wide eyes sparkling as they met mine. "You really mean it?"

"Yes! It's absolutely batshit crazy!"

Liris laughed. It was such an innocent-sounded laugh but had a melodic ring to it, like the chirping of birds in the morning dew.

"I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to," I said. "So you don't have anything to be afraid of."

Liris' face fell. She looked past me, down the hall. "You might not, but they will."

"Then, screw them," I said.

Her eyes turned back on me. Her lips turned up again, but this time, her eyes smiled as well. Her whole face lit up, taking her beauty to a whole new level.

My cheeks burned as she looked at me.

"Thank you," she said. "Thank you so much."

"It's cool, you know, whatever," I said, turning away from her.

Liris slid the hairpin back in place. She took a step away from me, then paused.

The next thing I knew, her arms were wrapped around my waist, her head pressed against my back. "Truly, thank you," she whispered.

I relaxed my shoulders. "You're welcome."


	7. Chapter 7

I took the lifter to the bottom floor with Liris. She didn't say anything until we reached the ground and heard muffled cries of pain.

I looked over at Liris, who had her eyebrows lowered. She stepped out of the lifter and followed the sound to Reone's room. That's when we heard the first scream.

Liris's wide eyes were pinned on me. She lifted a hand to knock on the door when Reone screamed again. Flinching, she withdrew her hand and took a step back.

I took in a breath and opened the door.

Reone was on her bed, biting down on one hand as she squeezed her eyes shut. Her stomach was enlarged, even bigger than Mahiru's was before she gave birth.

"Oh my," Liris said, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Get a maid," I told her, stepping into the room.

"No!" Reone said, pulling her hand away and reaching out to me. Blood streaked down her fingers were her teeth had torn through the skin. Tears filled her golden eyes. "Please."

Liris and I exchanged glances. I pressed my lips together. Liris' eyebrows pinched in a worried expression. Then, she lowered her eyebrows and nodded.

"Lock the door."

The next hour was a complete blur of muffled screams and red smears. The next thing I remembered was Liris wiping the last bits of blood from the light wisps of white-blonde hair atop the head of the newly born Star Child. Then, she wrapped the baby in a light yellow blanket.

The maids outside had given up on knocking a while ago. Liris said they had probably left to find the master key.

I stood in the corner as Liris walked over to Reone and held the child out to her. Reone's eyes were shut, but her breathing was heavy. The baby cried, the shrill screams filling the room. Reone's eyes slowly opened and landed on her child.

She smiled.

Liris gave her the baby. Reone wrapped her arms around her child.

"It's a girl," Liris said.

"She's beautiful," Reone said. Her smile disappeared as tears rolled down her face. She looked up at Liris. "The maids are going to be here any second, aren't they?"

Liris' face fell. She nodded.

Reone gulped, then held the child out to Liris. "Please, I can't do this."

Liris took the baby as it began to bawl again.

Reone turned her back to them.

Liris walked over to me. I couldn't help but stare at the child in her arms. Despite her face being contorted into an ugly cry, there was an angelic beauty to her. I took a step closer to them. Liris' big red eyes were turned on me.

"Can I?" I asked.

Liris nodded, adjusting her hold so I could take her. I reached out to her, then hesitated, before awkwardly scoping the child out of Liris' arms. The blanket was soft and warm against my skin. The baby was surprising light in my arms.

She didn't stop crying, but she didn't seem to be fighting against me either. This definitely was Reone's child, I thought with a smile.

Then, she opened her eyes and I saw my own magenta irises staring up at me.

And for a moment, we just stared at each other.

"We should give her a name before the maids take her away," I said.

"A name?" Liris asked. "But Star Child don't have names."

"Maybe they should," I said.

"Okay, well what do you want to name her?" Liris asked.

"I don't know," I said. Then, I laughed a bit. "Honestly, I'm really bad at coming up with names."

I looked at Reone, but she didn't move. Her covers were pulled above her head. I turned back to Liris.

"You wouldn't happen to have any ideas, would you?" I asked.

Liris put a finger to her chin. She studied the child in my arms. "What about Collette?"

"Collette?" I repeated the name. "It's pretty."

"I think it suits her," Liris said. She pushed a stray strand of hair from the baby's forehead.

"Collette," I said, watching the child's face and trying to picture it. "Yeah, it does."

"I mean, everyone's just going to call her Star Child B 387644, but we'll know," Liris said.

"Yeah." I nodded. I held her tighter. "Well then, hello, Collette."

"It's good to meet you, Collette," Liris said.

The door opened. Maids rushed in and immediately ripped Collette from my arms. I barely had time to register the warm leaving my arms and she was gone.

Just gone.

The maids tended to Reone and lectured Liris. They didn't say anything to me. So, I just stood there.

I couldn't do anything. Reone looked miserable. Liris nodded, her shoulders hunched as she refused to meet anyone's eyes.

Finally, a maid came up to me to "kindly" escort me to my room. I tried to say something to Reone before I left, but they shuffled me out before I could. What would I even say? I'm sorry? I'll get her back? All of my words felt empty.

I just went along with the maids.

Breakfast the next morning was strange. Mahiru didn't say anything. In fact, she barely touched the eggs the maids had prepared. Reone had a smile on her face, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She talked with prep, but every now and then, her sentences would drop off at the end and she would get a panicked expression before smoothing it over with another large grin. Liris ate slower, or at least, she wasn't shoveling the food down her throat so she could leave. Every now and then, she would meet my gaze before quickly looking away.

Mirei was the only one who was no different. That is to say, she ate the meal quietly with a blank expression.

There were only a few more days until the first week was over. I didn't want to think about next week. Mirei could not look more uninterested in me, and I had already told Liris I wouldn't touch her. Not to mention, I still had no idea where the Star Children were being kept. And now, I had two of them.

I nearly choked on the egg in my mouth as the thought crossed my mind. Did I seriously have two kids? Me?

I gulped down the eggs, trying to push any that thought. The eggs didn't sit well in my stomach after that.

I spent the rest of the day exploring the castle, but almost immediately got lost. I screwed up backtracking and ended up in the kitchen of the castle, which took up an entire floor. I was so turned around that by the time I got back to the Maiden's court, which was apparently what it was called, it was nighttime again.

I was going to head straight to bed when I thought of Reone's pained smile this morning. A wave of guilt washed over me. But what could I do? Apologize? It didn't seem appropriate.

The guilt sat in my stomach like bad eggs.

I walked to the lifter and took it down instead of up. I walked over to the yellow door and knocked.

There was no answer.

I sighed. The bad feeling in my stomach only seemed to grow. "Reone?" I said, barely above a whisper.

Still no answer.

My shoulders hunched. I took a step away from the door. My head turned to look at the red door next to it. Mahiru was still miserable this morning. Maybe I should update her.

I took in a deep breath, turning away from Reone's door. I walked over to Mahiru's door, knocking softly.

"Come in," Mahiru's tired voice called out from the other side.

I opened the door, letting light pour into her dark room. Mahiru sat up on her bed, shielding her eyes.

"Itsuki?" she asked.

"Hey," I said quietly. "Sorry to wake you."

Mahiru shook her head. "I was awake. Can't sleep."

I stepped inside, shutting the door behind me. The darkness swarmed around me, covering every inch of the room.

"Did you find anything?" she asked.

I turned to the sound of her voice and shook my head. I blinked until I could make out the shape of her bed.

"Oh," she said.

I sat down next to her. The bedsheet shifted as Mahiru brought her knees to her chest.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Not really."

I tried to see her face. The colors were muted. I could barely make out her figure. She wasn't looking at me.

"I'm going to find him," I said.

She didn't move.

"You don't believe me?"

"No, I just...I'm tired."

I let out a breath. "Yeah, I'm tired too."

"Are you giving up?"

"What? No. I'll look again tomorrow. And the next day, and the next day, until I find them."

"And then we can go back home, right?"

I bit the inside of my lip. I still had no idea how to get out of this place, much less back home. I forced a smile on my face.

"Yeah, then we'll all go home together."

Mahiru turned to me. I could see her face now. It looked so delicate. I was almost scared to touch her skin in fear that it would break. Still, I shifted my position to wrap my arm around her. She fell into my embrace.

"Can you stay with me tonight?" Mahiru asked.

"Sure."

Mahiru laid down. I put my head on the pillow next to her.

She shut her eyes. Her breathing slowed. I felt myself drift into unconsciousness, and I let go.

The next day, I took the lifter down to the main floor, ready to attempt the castle again. When I stepped out, motion caught my eye. I turned and saw Liris walking towards the entertainment room. Her long, black hair followed her. Strands of it flew up as she bounced. I couldn't help but watch.

"Hey, Liris, I've been meaning to say..." I said, but my words got caught in my throat when Liris spun around on one heel, pinning those big, red eyes on me.

I blinked a few times. She tilted her head, causing a few pieces of her hair to slip over her ear on fall on her rosy cheeks.

"I just wanted to say thank you, for that night," I said.

"Oh, you're welcome," she said in that soft voice of hers.

"I was really impressed," I said. "I didn't know you were so good with kids."

"Yeah," she said. Her eyes drifted to a point beyond. She bit her plump, pink lips.

My mouth shut, a gulp rolling down my throat.

Then, suddenly, she wiped her head back to look me in the eyes. "Can we talk? Privately?"

"Uh, okay?"

She turned around, taking a step towards the lifter. Then, she looked back at me and nodded to the hall.

I said nothing, following her into the lifter as it took us to the bottom floor. It landed, and Liris stuck her head out to look around. A maid smiled at us as we stepped out. Liris gave her a polite nod. I opened my mouth to greet her, but Liris grabbed my hand, shooting me an almost panicked look. No, it was a look of urgency.

Hand in hand, we walked to her room. My cheeks began to burn as my mind swarmed with questions. We still had a while before we had to do anything...and I really did not get the impression that Liris wanted to do anything like that.

But here she was, leading me by hand to her bedroom.

She let go of my hand to shut the door. Then, she turned the lock.

I tried to calm my beating heart when her big, red eyes turned on me.

"I heard you talking with Mahiru last night," Liris said.

I blinked. "What?"

Liris turned away sheepishly. She tugged at a loose strand of her hair. "Last night, when you dropped me off at my room, I saw you go into Mahiru's room and got curious. So, I kinda overheard your conversation."

"Oh," I said.

"But it's okay!" Liris said, turning back to me suddenly. "I won't tell anyone."

There was a determination in her eyes that surprised me. I tried to think back to my conversation with Mahiru. What exactly did was she talking about?

"Actually, I want to help," Liris said.

"Help?"

"Help you find Ushio and Collette."

My eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes! I have a plan, but I'm not sure if you'll like it," Liris said. Her eyes sparkled as she spoke. She frowned at the end of her sentence, hesitantly watching my face for a reaction, but that sparkle never faded.

"Okay?" I said.

"I have a friend who works with the Star Children. She can get us into the academy, but we have to find it first," Liris said.

"Okay, how do we find it?"

Liris smirked. It was the same grin that she wore when I saw her talking to the prince. It was a strange expression to see on the face of the girl who was so scared of me only a few days ago.

"That's where my plans come in," Liris said. She took a step towards me, her smile growing. "Think about it, the only time anyone goes to the academy is to drop off the Star Children."

"Yeah?"

"So, I was thinking, if you could sleep with Mirei, then three days from now, when the maids are busy with the birth of the new Star Child, we could sneak out," Liris said.

My eyebrows furrowed. She spoke so casually like she was asking me to pick up bread at the store. I tried to push away the feeling of dread in my stomach. "Okay, so we sneak out, but how do we find the...academy?"

"Well, once we're out, we hide and wait for the maids. Then, when they come out, we follow them to the academy! Then, we wait for the maids to leave the academy and my friend can get us in. It's full proof!" Liris said, balling her hands into fists and holding them above her puffed out chest.

I bite my lip. "I don't know, what if we get caught."

"You'll be fine," Liris said, her shoulders falling a bit. "They can't touch you. You could kill someone and they would just shrug."

Somehow that didn't make me feel better. "Then why can't I just go to the academy?"

Liris frowned. "They won't tell you where it is. They don't tell anyone. Except for the people who are selected to work there, like my friend."

"What about you? Won't they punish you?"

"Not too severely. After all, I'm still a Maiden. I'll just play dumb, probably get off with a warning."

"It feels a little slimy to sleep with Mirei just to sneak out."

Liris waved her hand. "Mirei doesn't mind. This is just a job to her."

"But how do you know that?"

"She told me. Before you came," Liris said. Then, she looked away from me. Her shoulders fell completely, and she went back to tugging on her hair. "I was really scared when they told us they found the new Visitor. Mirei, I don't know if she was trying to cheer me up or what, but she told me to get over it and 'do my job.' She'll be fine."

I frowned. "You really want to do this?"

Liris looked back up at me with wide eyes. "Yes. Please, I must repay your kindness."

"You really don't have to."

"But I want to," Liris said. She took another step closer to me and grabbed my hand. Her skin was soft and warm. She smelled like vanilla cookies. "Please."

Slowly, I nodded. "Okay, sure."

Liris' mouth broke into another smile. "Yes! Let's go find the Star Children!"

I broke from Liris' grip and turned to the door. "Let me just go update Mahiru-"

"Wait!" Liris grabbed my hand again.

I looked back at her. Her eyebrows were withdrawn, her eyes wide. She looked like a scared deer.

"You can't tell her."

"Why?"

"We can't risk the maids finding out."

"Mahiru won't tell anyone."

"I know, but she wouldn't have to."

I turned around to face her, pulling my hand back. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Mahiru's really depressed right now because of the situation," Liris said.

"And?"

"If the situation changes, then she might cheer up."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"If you tell her that you're going to find Ushio and then she starts acting happy, the maids will know something is up. They'll be on watch. We can't risk that."

I pressed my lips together. My mind buzzed with responses, but none of them were solid.

"You want to see your children, right?" Liris asked.

My breath was caught in my throat. I gulped, then nodded.

Liris' face softened. "I know you want to tell her, but you have to trust me. And besides, think about how devastated she would be if you told her our plan and then we got caught. Think about how much happier she'll be if you tell her after the fact."

"Okay, I won't tell her," I said.

Liris smiled at me. "Good. Then, let's do this."

A/N: Sorry this chapter is a little late! I went on a vacation and ever since have been having trouble finding motivation to write, much less edit. I could really use some feedback! It really gives me inspiration to write!


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